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Baertschi named WHL Player of the Week

by
Staff Writer
/ Calgary Flames

CALGARY, AB -- The Western Hockey League announced today that Portland Winterhawks forward Sven Baertschi is the WHL Player of the Week.

Baertschi picked up six points, scoring three goals and three assists to go with a +2 rating in two games over the past week, helping the Winterhawks to a 2-0 series lead over the Kamloops Blazers in the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference semi-final.

On Friday, April 6th, the Winterhawks opened their Kal Tire WHL Western Conference semi-final in Portland hosting the Kamloops Blazers. Baertschi scored one goal, three assists and was named the games 1st Star in the ‘Hawks 5-3 win over the Blazers. The next night, Saturday, April 7th, in Portland, Baertschi scored two goals and was named the games 2nd Star in the Winterhawks’ 4-1 victory over the Blazers.

The Portland Winterhawks now have a 2-0 series lead over the Kamloops Blazers in the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference semi-final with games three and four scheduled for Tuesday, April 10 and Wednesday, April 11 at 7:00pm in Kamloops.

A 19-year-old from Langenthal, SUI, Baertschi is playing his second full season with the Portland Winterhawks after being a 7th overall selection in the 2010 CHL Import Draft. The Calgary Flames made Baertschi the 13th overall selection in last year’s 2011 NHL Draft and signed the WHL Star to an entry-level contract this past summer. He recently was a rare emergency NHL call up for the Flames in March appearing in five games and scoring three goals. This is his fourth career WHL Player of the Week Award.

The WHL has also nominated Luke Siemens of the Moose Jaw Warriors for the CHL Goaltender of the Week Award. Siemens posted a 2-0-0-0 record this past week, stopping 30 of 32 shots faced for a 1.00 goals-against average and 0.938 save percentage. Siemens, a native of Delta, BC, helped the Warriors emerge from the weekend with a 2-0 series lead over the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Husky WHL Eastern Conference semi-final.